Honka to minors, Johns likely back in Thursday, as Stars trying to find perfect fit with defense

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Colorado Avalanche left wing Gabriel Landeskog, left, of Sweden, drives down the ice with the puck as Dallas Stars defenseman Julius Honka, of Finland, pursues in the third period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2017, in Denver. The Avalanche won 5-3. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

KELOWNA, British Columbia -- The process of getting the Stars defense to the right place seems to be a never-ending battle, but players, coaches and management believe they can find solutions.

Injured defenseman Stephen Johns (concussion) looks like he will be returning to the lineup Thursday against Winnipeg, and that means the team has the ability to send rookie defenseman Julius Honka to the AHL, which it did Tuesday. Mix in the fact that Greg Pateryn seems to have earned a spot in the lineup while Jamie Oleksiak continues to deal with growing pains, and you've got a lot of things going on.

But that's really par for the course in the NHL, as teams across the league are trying to find the right mix on the blue line.

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"Internal competition in your group makes a good team," Stars coach Ken Hitchcock said after the team practiced in Kelowna as part of a two-day side trip between road games. "For us, right now, we're in the winning business, and development is part of that. But if you're out, then you've got to get yourself ready, and when it's your turn, you've got to go."

That's a lesson learned by several defensemen this season. Pateryn started out as a healthy scratch for the first nine games and has played the last three. Honka has been in and out, playing six and missing six. Oleksiak has played eight games but has not been able to do enough to secure a regular lineup spot.

It's a tough challenge for a 7-5-0 team that is trying to win right now and also trying to develop defensemen.

"In the end, the players will decide who makes it and who doesn't. We manage them, but they decide," general manager Jim Nill said. "It's up to these guys to make the next step. I hope they all do, but the reality is some do and some don't."

Nill has carried eight defensemen for the last three seasons and said it's a trend in the NHL. As of Tuesday, 13 of 31 teams were carrying eight healthy defensemen instead of the normal seven. Both Nill and Hitchcock said players have to deal with the competition and find a way to help the team win.

"Greg Pateryn is a great example," Nill said. "He stuck with it and worked hard and has seized his opportunity, and that's what players need to do."

Hitchcock said a trip to the minors could be good for 21-year-old Honka, who is averaging 14:58 in NHL ice time this season and been scratched for three straight.

"He needs to play," Hitchcock said. "He needs to play 25 minutes a night. He's going to get the chance to do that down there."

Hitchcock said that Honka is a naturally risky defenseman and that the organization wants him to learn how to manage his risk-taking.

"What we don't want him to do is get too far away from the game, because he is a risk player and he's got to play with risk in his game," Hitchcock said. "When you sit out and you come back in, you get too cautious. We thought this was best for him to get playing that risky game he is so good at."

Meanwhile, Oleksiak has to learn to be a different defenseman -- but one that still does his job with confidence.

"I think he is a defending defenseman, and he just has to mature," Hitchcock said. "The biggest thing for us with Oleksiak is communication on the ice. He's a quiet player and he has to be more verbal on the ice, so he can make the game easier for himself."

Of course, the simple fact each player needs to do something individually relevant while still fitting into the team concept means that finding the right answer isn't easy at all.

"It's one thing to make it to the NHL," Nill said. "The next step now is to stay and be an everyday player."